Where you grew up and your background can often have surprising effects on our lives and careers. We’ve asked folks from the community to tell us about how their background has affected them.

Maya Corbic | Financial Literacy Advocate, Author & Speaker

I am a first-generation immigrant from war-torn Bosnia. At 15, I immigrated to Toronto, Canada, with my parents and brother, bringing only $50 and two suitcases. The war took everything from us, and we started over from scratch.
I lived in government shelters and housing while working two part-time jobs in high school to support myself. Whether it was bus tickets or school supplies, I learned early on how to hustle and make the most of limited resources.
My upbringing shaped my perspective on finding balance in life—between the Eastern and Western ways of living. Growing up in Bosnia, which was part of communist Yugoslavia, taught me to value relationships, simplicity, and making the most of what we had. Without the luxuries of the Western world, we focused on repairing, reusing, and cherishing what we owned—a stark contrast to the consumerism I encountered in North America, where the push is always to buy more and work more. Read more>>

Jordan Thomas | Styled By Jordan Thomas | Intuitive Hairstylist

This is such a great question originally, I’m from San Diego California so that’s where I grew up as a kid and went to beauty school at Bellus Academy. However, when I met my husband, we both decided to move up to Portland, Oregon for several years to grow into our careers, which is where I initially got started doing hair. I started working at a kids salon, which was scary at first because cutting kids hair is no easy feet but I quickly became efficient and skilled earning me the title as “Lead Stylist” after four years of working at Sit Still Kids Salon. When I left that place I knew I wanted to still do kids’s hair but not on the same level of volume, mind you during back to school time I was booked back to back with over 15 kid clients on my schedule. I wanted to expand into the Portland Oregon hair industry in general and offer my skills to the whole family. Read more>>

Kate Schrader | Actor

I was born and raised in a small town in Wisconsin. My mom was a professional photographer, and she always took photos of me, which made me very comfortable in front of the camera. I loved it. I don’t think I would be the person I am today without the passion both of my parents have for the arts. I knew at a very young age that I wanted to be an actor, and as soon as I was able to, I began acting in school productions. Being able to do those productions solidified my passion for acting and that I could make a career for myself. Read more>>